IMPULSE
by megaerapet
Summary: Sam shows up, Jackie moves out. But what happens when Jackie grows homesick? Will she leave well enough alone or take a leap of faith?


**Author's Note: Hi guys! Okay, so I've been working on a T70S fanfic for a while now (which I haven't published yet), but wanted to give this 'one shot' thing a try. I've seen there's kind of a trend on some fanfics of people not finishing their stories, which bothers the hell out of me! Stupid, I know, but I'd rather finish something and **_**then**_** publish it than leave my readers hanging…should I have any ;) Anyway, so fairly soon there should be a T70S multichapter coming up, but in the meantime, please enjoy my first one shot based on the Brandi Carlile song "What Did I Ever Come Here For?"**

Jackie retrieved his shirt from her drawer like she had every night for the past eight months. Wow. _Eight months._ Had it really been that long? She had left Point Place not long after Sam showed up; gone down to Los Angeles in search of new meaning to her life. She couldn't be around _him_ anymore. It stung too bad.

Her search resulted in nothing but a broke teenager at the brink of 19, living in a city she didn't know around people she couldn't stand, working a dead end job. _Great career move, Burkhart._

It was this night, however, as Jackie slipped into a deep slumber, she was haunted by her prior life.

_"Jackie," Hyde said in exasperation. "You kicked her ass, man!"_

_Jackie tried to compose herself as Fez, Donna, and Hyde looked on with admiration. If they had a nickel for every time they wanted to kick Laurie Forman's ass…_

_"Yeah," Jackie said, completely out of breath. "Yeah…whatever." Her Zen failed to fool anybody. "I guess that wasn't very Zen of me, huh Hyde?"_

_Hyde looked on proudly. "Where Zen ends, ass-kicking begins."_

Jackie woke with a smile on her face…and then a frown. _Shit_. Why couldn't that have been real? Why couldn't she go back to 1976, when Zen was cool and so was the sexy, hippie burnout that snuck his way into her heart?

Jackie then grew incredibly homesick. It was as if she could _hear_ the gang converse around her in Eric's basement; as if she could _feel _his arms around her, as she occupied his lap like she had for over 2 years. Her eyes grew hot with tears. He had to still love her, he just _had_ to. Steven Hyde still loved her, she just knew.

Then Jackie was energized with purpose. She was going to go back and show that pot smoking bastard what she knew he felt. She quickly packed her bags, not bothering to put on makeup or even change out of her pajamas. She rushed out the door, heading toward the airport.

"First flight to Madison, please," Jackie said, carrying her single bag in hand. It then began to seep in just what she was doing. This wasn't her…but she just had this feeling. He had to still love her, he just had to.

She slept briefly on the plane ride to Wisconsin, but was overcome with a sense of worry. What if he told her to go away? What if he was still with Sam? What if he said he didn't love her?

_No_. She told herself he would see her and all she had been through in the last eight months and feel everything she had. He would hold her the rest of the night, and they would live together in Point Place until the end of time. He had to love her, he just had to.

And then she was there; at the Forman's basement step, staring at the door with a sick stomach. She took a large breath, then knocked, not knowing if he would still be awake at 2:30 in the morning. Then he answered. Her breath caught when she saw him in all his sleepy glory.

He took in her form, thinking he was imagining the whole thing. "Jackie?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "God, what are you doing here? I thought you were in LA."

Jackie looked at Hyde with weak knees, tears brimming in her eyes. "I was. I-I just wanted to see you, you know?"

Hyde looked at her sympathetically. "You look like hell, Jacks. Do you w-"

"Who is it, Hyde?" a female voice asked from behind him. It was then, when Same came to the door, wrapping her slutty arms around Hyde, that she gave up. She had become a pathetic mess over him; standing at his doorway at 2:30 in the morning for what? To be humiliated. "What is _she_ doing here?"

Hyde looked at Jackie gently. "You want to come in? Have a beer?"

Jackie opened her mouth to answer, but her emotions got the better of her, and tears sprung to her eyes. "See you in another eight months, Puddin'." And with that, Jackie walked away from the Forman's, kicking herself for letting it go this far. As she walked down the street, she wondered to herself, _What did I ever come here for?_

LYRICS TO "WHAT DID I EVER COME HERE FOR?"

I've been gone for so long

And how I missed you

My heart was aching for home

And then one night as I lay down

Somewhere far from you

I dreamt that I heard you call my name

But my mind was playing games

I knew right then that I'd return

To where I was before

And I was so tired of being away

That I just couldn't stay anymore

What did I ever come here for?

Oh no no no no no

What did I ever come here for?

I thought if I showed up in the night

In my best disguise

There at your doorway in your porch light

That you would look into my eyes

And you would realize who I am

Put your arms around me

You gonna love me so much more

Than you ever did before

What did I ever come here for?

Oh no no no no no

What did I ever come here for?

It wasn't too long before

I showed up at your door

I'd been gone a thousand miles

I didn't know how much more I could stand

If I could stand at all

You said I looked like I'd been through World War II

And my soul was worn right through

I thought you would read my mind

I thought you'd ask me to stay

You'd never turn me away like before

But you closed your door anyway

What did I ever come here for?

Oh no no no no no

What did I ever come here for?

Oh no no no no no

What did I ever come here for?

Oh no no no no no

What did I ever come here for?

-BRANDI CARLILE

From .


End file.
